Broken Heart"
by Quills
Summary: T'Pol is visited with bad news and Trip ties to help


"Broken Heart"  
by Quills  
  
  
Sub Commander T'Pol stood in front of the view port in quiet reflection.  
It was the night shift and the mess hall was empty. It gave her the time and   
Solace to consider what was weighing heavily on her mind. She knew her   
choice to stay aboard Enterprise was a difficult one, but she had always considered  
it to be the right one. She had believed…erroneously…that her life on Vulcan and with  
her fiancée would wait for her. She could try to find what she was looking for  
among the humans and then return to Vulcan to fulfill her duty. Now, thanks to  
one human's intervention, this was not to be.  
  
Trip Tucker entered the mess hall and stopped suddenly when he spied the lone figure.   
He looked at T'Pol as she stared out the view port. He had wanted to talk to her   
since Enterprise had left the Solveg III station yesterday. They had put in for new  
upgrades to her sensors and a complete refit for the transporter. The layover lasted   
just over two weeks and it afforded the crew well deserved R&R at the stations facilities.  
All of the crew save one Vulcan science officer who insisted that human ideas  
of "rest" were highly illogical. She would use the time to complete her own system  
upgrades to her science station and oversee the Starfleet team that was installing the  
new equipment.   
  
Startled momentarily she turned towards the Chief Engineer. "Commander Tucker."  
  
"Sorry if I startled yuh." He told her sheepishly as he walked towards her.  
  
"Not at all Commander." she told him as she straightened. "I was just leaving."  
  
He watched as she walked past him. He knew he should leave well enough alone, but  
he was pretty sure she needed to talk. "T'Pol."  
  
She stopped right before the doors, but did not turn to face Tucker "Yes, Commander."  
  
"Is there somthin you wanna say." he asked her as he bit his lower lip. Here he was   
trying to help her and she still managed to put him on edge.  
  
"I-I do not think so." she said hesitantly.   
  
She was going to be difficult. He had to try harder. "I just thought you might need a friend."  
  
She turned slowly to face him. Their gaze met and each could glimpse what the other  
was thinking.   
  
For all his emotional displays and illogical tendencies he had proven   
to be a trusted friend. "I do not wish to trouble you any further with my personal problems."  
  
"Well, I sorta involved myself by accident…again." He told her as he motioned towards nearby table.  
  
She regarded him for a moment before taking a seat. Trip Tucker pulled up a chair  
and turning it backside out took a seat across from her.   
  
The two officers sat quietly for several seconds waiting for the other to say something.  
Trip Tucker was the first to break the silence. "So, you wanna tell me what happened  
after I left?"  
  
"You are already in possession of the facts." she stated.  
  
"Yeah," he told her. "but I'm more interested in how yer feelin."  
  
T'Pol looked away from him. "I-I am finding it difficult to reconcile my…feelings  
on the matter."  
  
"It hurts…doesn't it." he said to her sympathetically.  
  
"What would you have me say Commander?" she said to him as she stood up and walked   
back to the view port.   
  
Trip Tucker stood up and followed her. He stopped a few feet away. He knew she needed  
some space. "I don't know…somthin 'Vulcan'."  
  
"As you would say, 'I am fresh out'." She told him.  
  
"Maybe he'll change his mind." he told her. He knew it wasn't very likely. He   
had only met T'Pol's fiancée once but that short meeting was enough to convince him the man   
was a walking talking computer.  
  
She looked at him with a raised brow. "That is highly unlikely."  
  
"Yeah, I guess so." he admitted. "I was just tryin to be a ray uh sunshine."  
  
This was getting exasperating. She was clearly upset. Her fiancée shows up  
during the ship's layover and tells her that he and his family are callin off the wedding,  
because she has disgraced both their families and all of Vulcan. That's about when yours   
truly showed up to poor gasoline on an already nicely burning bonfire. I know I should have  
just turned around and went back to the station. I only returned to Enterprise to pick   
up something for shore leave. I didn't expect to walk in on T'Pol and her 'ex' going at it.  
I would have just left but that whole 'disgraced all Vulcan' comment wasn't gonna slide.  
I got right in his face and told him what I thought of him and his customs…and added a   
few colorful metaphors to boot. This didn't even get a rise out of em, which only made  
Me madder. So, what did I do, I told him exactly what I wanted to do with his head and a   
9/16 spanner. That would be when T'Pol jumped in and sent me packin. I don't know what   
happened after that.   
  
"Yes, I'm sure you are Commander." She told him. "Much the same way you did when you   
proceeded to threaten my fiancée."  
  
"Ex fiancé." he corrected her. "Look, the guy was a jerk. He said some pretty crappy things   
about you. I wasn't gonna just let him get away with it."  
  
"Very gallant of you Commander." She told him. "However, in your attempt to defend  
my honor you have cost me any chance of reconciliation."  
  
"Look, I'm sorry things went bust for ya." He said." Believe me, I know what it's like,  
but your not dumpin this whole thing on me. That guy was a dud from the get go.  
Let's face it. He didn't exactly come all the way out here to convince you to go back with him.  
He came out here to make your wedding cancellation official and to sling some   
mud."  
  
  
She looked at Trip Tucker for a moment. Anger was clearly the emotion she was indulging   
in at the moment. She realized it was illogical to not only allow herself to be angry but to  
hold Commander Tucker responsible. She turned away once more and returned her gaze   
to the view port and the stars beyond.   
  
"I know." She said in defeat. "I know."  
  
Trip Tucker moved himself in front her view. When he saw that she was going to   
move away he place his hand gently on her arm. She looked down at his hand as he   
held her arm. She knew she could easily force his hand loose. She looked up at him   
and their eyes met once more. Both saw something in the others gaze which they didn't   
expect…desire. Hesitantly Trip leaned closer to T'Pol who made no effort to retreat.   
However, she was becoming alarmed with what they were both considering.  
  
"Commander…" she started but Trip Tuckers lips silenced hers with a kiss.  
He pulled her close and though she gripped his shoulders momentarily considering  
Breaking their embrace she slid her arms around his neck and deepened their kiss.  
Her soft pouty lips brushed over his own sensual lips as they lingered in the heady  
Sensations they were feeling.  
  
Trip Tucker pulled back gently breaking their embrace and looked at T'Pol.  
She returned his gaze with an arched brow "Commander." She said clearly as surprised   
as Trip Tucker.  
  
"T'Pol, I-I'm sorry." He told her.  
  
"Sorry you kissed me?" she asked. "Sorry you have romantic feelings for me? Sorry  
you challenged my fiancé?"  
  
Trip Tucker immediately became defensive. "I didn't! I would never…I mean I couldn't…"  
  
She looked at him thoughtfully and raised a brow. "Then I am correct?"  
He looked down at the floor. He had, hadn't he. He didn't realize it at the time, but he   
popped off at T'Pol's fiancée not because he was defending a friend but because he was   
challenging the 'competition'. He closed his eyes and nodded in acknowledgment.   
How could he have been so stupid.   
  
"Oh God." he said. "It is my fault. I screwed up everything?"  
  
"Yes." She said as she leaned in and kissed him. Their lips pressed together once more.  
The sting of hot electric passion passed between them for a brief moment before T'Pol   
Parted their kiss. "However, I forgive you."  
  
Trip Tucker was to stunned to speak, but it didn't stop him from smiling at   
The Vulcan. This elicited yet another arched eyebrow and a hint of a   
smile as well.  
  
"So…your ok?" he asked still confused.  
  
"Yes, I am" she told him. "You are a good friend…Trip. You have shown  
me what was always in front of me. What I was not ready to admit."  
  
"Are we talking about your fiancée," he asked "or us?"  
  
She smiled at him, which only added to his confusion. "I am going to have  
breakfast Commander. Why don't you join me and we can…talk"  
  
He smiled back at her. This was going to be interesting.  
  
The End 


End file.
